As a mother, it’s extremely easy to get caught up in
the everyday chaos of life with kids. However, this doesn’t mean you have to be
stressed out as you deal with the daily struggles this life brings. While it
might sound impossible, you can find was to de-stress. Below are just a few of
the many ways to do this.

Have
Quiet Time: One of the easiest ways to calm your
nerves and dissolve your stress is to set aside some time each day where you
can just sit and relax. Many women find that the best time to do this is early
in the morning before they wake their children up for school. However, there
are others who do this mid-morning/afternoon when their kids are at school…even
right before bed has been found to work too. Regardless of when you do this, it
may help you clear your mind and calm your nerves – so, give it a try. It
doesn’t have to be much time – as little as 20 minutes!

Pamper
Yourself: For most mothers, pampering isn’t feasible. However,
this isn’t the normal kind of “spa-treatment” most associate pampering with.
The kind of pampering I’m suggesting can be done at home. To help yourself
de-stress consider purchasing a few nicely scented candles, bath salts and new
lotion. Then, after the kids are in bed, lock yourself in the bathroom and
light the candles while you fill the tub with steaming water and watch the bath
salts dissolve. Take a long (minimum of 30 minutes) bath and then apply the
lotion once you’re out and dry. You’ll be surprised at how relaxed you will
feel when you emerge from the bathroom.

Call
a Friend: Sometimes, life can seem unbearable and it’s just
too much for us to take by ourselves. This is when you need to pick up the
phone and call a friend. We all have days when we just need to vent. However,
it isn’t good to vent to our children and, sometimes, we should refrain from
venting to our husbands as well – they just don’t always understand and make
things worse by trying to “fix it.” So, pick up the phone and call a friend.
Tell her what’s going on and that you’re just venting. You’ll feel much better
once you’re done and your stress level will be lower too.

Listen
to Music: When you’re in the car driving to and from work or
taking the kids to the various places they need to be, try listening to music.
Music has a way of unlocking the worries we have been carrying with us
throughout the day and releasing them. Make a CD containing a collection of
your favorite “feel good” songs and keep in your car so you will always have
some uplifting music waiting for you. You’ll find that this CD will help your
spirits on the days when everything seems to be going wrong.

Be
Selfish: That’s right – be selfish. I know this goes against
everything mothers are “supposed” to be, but every now and then it’s okay to be
selfish. There are days when we, as mothers, get extremely overwhelmed because
we are being pulled in so many different directions. This is when you need to
take 30 minutes to an hour and just do whatever you want. It doesn’t matter if
it’s writing in your journal, reading or taking a nap – do whatever you want.
You will feel relaxed, de-stressed and able to focus after your mini-break.